OCR Text |
Show Home Treatment Limited in TB Cases I i In the old days when tuberculosis tubercu-losis was mentioned you probably probab-ly pictured a patient wrapped in blankets on the porch of a sanitarium sani-tarium in an isn'ated mountain setting. Later the picture changed chang-ed and the typical TB patient was lying in bed in a hospital near, his home. Today the picture Is changing again. As the result of a new drug treatment of TB, there may be a patient in the home next door to you. This doesn't mean that any person stricken with tuberculosis can lie treated at home. But some patients are now being allowed to continue treatment at home wiih drugs after a preliminary period of hospitalization. In some areas where there is a shortage of hospital beds for TB, this practice prac-tice allows more patients to haw at least an initial period of hospitalization. hos-pitalization. The decision to let the patient go home will depend on the status of his disease, in the attitude of the patient, and on his home environment. Restrictions First of all the disease should not be In a contagious stage. The patient must be closely super vised by his doctor to make certain cer-tain that he is following his treatment properly, that the drugs he is taking are not harm-1 ing him, and that the germs in his body are not becoming re-i sistant to the drugs. I Second, he must understand his disease and the limitations it places on him. He is "on his own" at home, and must follow care- j fully the instructions' given himi for his own sake and also for the protection of his family. The patient's home environment environ-ment must be such that he is abJe to get rest, both of body and mind, which is such an important im-portant part of his treatment. In the hospital there are usually us-ually trained people social workers, psychologists, vocation-ad vocation-ad advisors and teachers to help the patient deal with the so-' so-' clal and economic problems TB causes. If their services are not available to him during home treatment, his chances for a successful suc-cessful return to normal living may be jeapordized. It is too early to tel.l whether or not home care will be satisfactory satis-factory for most TB patients. All that can be said today is that hospital care is to be preferred, particularly in the initial period of treatment, lint home care can be successful in selected cases, under the most favorable circum-sances. circum-sances. Complete home care wil.l be satisfactory for few patients. |